Third East Central trustee resigns in three years

East Central Independent School District's board Tuesday evening accepted the unexpected resignation of trustee Randall Gearhart, re-elected to a second term in November.

Gearhart's departure is the third on East Central's board in three years, but in all cases, district officials and trustees contend that the decisions were noncontroversial, spurred by personal reasons and not a sign that trustees are returning to the discord displayed several years ago that provoked a regime change.

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In an e-mailed statement, Gearhart described his reasoning for leaving as caused by “unforeseen circumstances and personal commitments.” He added that he “cherished serving our community and working with each member of the board.”

“I feel that East Central ISD maintains a tradition of quality education because of the dedication and commitment of the people of our community and board,” he said in the email.

East Central has about 10,000 students in Southeast Bexar County. Its board has largely avoided controversy, voting in a unified fashion for the past few years after healing its rift over Superintendent Gary Patterson.

Even during November's election, only one seat — Gearhart's — was contested, but both opponents had no negative words for one another.

Gearhart, 50, was first elected in 2008. He recently retired from the Air Force.

Also Tuesday, district spokeswoman Stevie Gonzales said, the board voted to reconvene to select a replacement for Gearhart, but no names have been announced.

Trustee resignations are rare in San Antonio, which has more than a dozen school boards with seven trustees each.

The East Central board has seen a few changes in the past couple of years with the resignations of Gloria Gutierrez and Lynda Billa Burke, both elected in 2004 as part of a slate that restored peace among trustees. Both cited personal reasons that arose for their decisions to resign.